Newbie tool question

Hi Gang,

I'm pleased with myself for having changed the oil and filter, flushed the coolant, and replaced the fan belt on my '41 Farmall B.

Now I want to change the transmission/differential oil and the wheel bearing oil.

So, two questions:

First, the plugs for the transmission oil have indented squares that look somewhere between 9/16" and 5/8" wide. What is the proper tool to open and close those plugs?

Second, where do I drain and refill the oil for the wheels? I've looked at the wheels and the manual and still can't figure it out!

Thanks as always for all your help.

Ross K
Nederland, Colorado

You could bend a piece of 9/16" square stock and use it as a wrench. I use a 1/2" breaker bar, it's sloppy, but it works.

To drain the final drives, you have to take the pan off the bottoms. To refill, there is another of those "indented squares" on the inside of the final drive, towards the front.

I just use the drive head of a 1/2" ratchet on the drain and fill plugs.

For the pans on the final there's no real drain. You have to remove the ten bolts holding each one up and drop the pans to empty them. The refill is a plug of the same type as on the tranny, and is located in the cast iron of the final drive itself, on the inside and just above where the pan mates up. Refill takes about three pints and should be at the level that it just begins to run out the fill plug. (This is where the pointed snout on the quart bottle of gear oil comes in handy.)

Pretty straightforward, but would caution that you might want to have new gaskets for those pans on hand before you drop the pans off. It's common for those old cork gaskets to break when removed. With them being actually submerged in the oil inside, it won't do to have a crack in them.

The finals will leak from the axle and diff shaft seals so they do get low on oil, but they aren't as prone to taking on condensation as transmissions. Some folks will just top them off, and you may want to do that until you have some other need, like a leaky seal, for taking the pans off. (Sad to say, but a full charge of oil in there may show up a leaky seal sooner than you'd expect!) If you want to change it, I'd recommend the gaskets, IH part# 43245D. Case IH, CaseNH dealers can get them for you. Or about any mainstream tractor dealers other than the green ones.